This invention relates to an improved new assembly of knee stabilizer. More particularly, this invention relates to a new and improved double hinged single side brace for use in support and protection of a knee joint and to the medial collateral ligament of lateral collateral ligament of the knee.
The knee-joint is made up of two condyloid joints and a third joint, partly arthrodial, but not completely so, since the articular surfaces are not mutually adapted to each other, so that the movement is not a simple gliding one. The principal movements that take place at the knee-joint are flexion and extension. The movements of flexion and extension at this joint differ from those in a typical hinge joint, such as the elbow, in that the axis around which motion takes place is not a fixed one but shifts forward during extension, as a gliding movement is superposed on the rolling, and shifts backward during flexion.
Although the knee-joint has been described as a hinge joint, it is really of a much more complicated character. It must be regarded as consisting of three articulations, of two different kinds. The first kind is a condyloid articulation; in this form of joint, an ovoid articular surface, or condyle, is received into an elliptical cavity in such a manner as to permit flexion, extension, abduction, adduction, and circumduction, but no axial rotation. The second kind of articulation involved is arthtodial; this is a joint which permits only gliding movement. It is formed by the apposition of plane surfaces, or one slightly concave, the other slightly convex, the amount of motion between them being limited by the ligaments or osseous processes surrounding the articulation.
Persons who have sustained knee injuries, who have had operations to remove cartilage, or who have weak knee joints from causes, such as arthritis or atheletes who have sustained an injury to the medial collateral ligament or lateral collateral ligament of the knee, need protection principally against lateral motion of the knee, that is, motion may be the result, for example, of a blow to the side of the knee. At the same time, a suitable knee brace should not interfere with the normal flexion and extension of the leg. The brace should protect the knee against sidewise motions during both flexion and extension; this means that the bracing structure should continue to lie parallel to the parts of the leg above and below the knee joint in all postions of the brace structure should remain substantially at the knee and provide protection to the knee.
The knee joint has four principal ligaments, one on either side and two on the inside. There ligaments may be strained or torn in sports and accidents. Injuries to these ligaments can be serious and must be properly treated if disability is to be avoided. Above all, repeated injury or strains before healing must be avoided. All degrees of ligament injuries will lead to some atrophy of the quadriceps and hamstring muscle groups.
Many previous knee braces and protection devices have been simple hinged structures pivotable about a fixed point, which cannot move parallel to the complex motion of the knee joint. Some knee braces for support and protection of the knee joint comprises both an inner and outer bracing structures each a rigid planar and elongated arm and pivoted about a fixed point. The fixed point lies on and parallel to the knee and leg. During motion and a sideways blow the rigid planar arms may cause further injury or discomfort to the already injured ligaments of the knee joint.
Some of the previous knee braces fail to provide protection to the injured knee ligaments. While other braces may lie parallel to the leg and knee joint while it is extended, or the leg is flexed the bracing structure fails to follow the motion accurately.